The Museum is currently closed for reconstruction.

WHAT'S NEW

Bridgestone Museum of Art Reconstruction Report: No.6

2018.01.22

Last summer, the construction work, which had begun at 26 meters below ground, advanced gradually to nearly ground-level. At the end of the year, a critical part of the work on our museum, the installation of the seismic isolation system, was carried out. That system has been deployed to ensure the safety of our visitors and to protect our works of art.The system protects the building against earthquake damage with a rubber base isolation system that supports the building and reduces vibration and two types of dampers that suppress swaying. Using a large crane, the dampers and rubber base isolation units were lowered to the seismic damper bed, 11 meters below ground. The seismic isolation floor is 3.5 meters deep, with a rubber base isolation unit placed under every pillar supporting the building.This year, construction of the above-ground floors will begin at last. We’ll look forward to seeing the exterior of our museum come out.

A large crane lifts a rubber base isolation unit, lowers and installs it with a mere 1 millimeter of clearance—very challenging conditions indeed.

After the workmen place the bolts in sockets by hand, each bolt is securely screwed down.

Each of the pillars that support the building is installed above a rubber base isolation unit, and then the building rises atop them.